Gov. Paul LePage is trying to move one step closer to eliminating Maine's income tax.

Gov. Paul LePage is trying to move one step closer to eliminating Maine's income tax.

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Updated: 10:54 PM EDT May 5, 2015

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WEBVTT THE DRIVER WAS CHARGED WITHOPERATING A VEHICLE OVER HEIGHTLIMIT.HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT IF YOU DIDNOT HAVE TO PAY INCOME TAX TOTHE STATE OF MAINE?IT IS A CHANGE THAT REPUBLICANS,LED BY GOVERNOR LEPAGE, WANT TOMAKE.PAUL MERRILL JOINS USFROMAUGUSTA TO EXPLAIN HOW THEDEBATE IS PLAYING OUT.PAUL:LAWMAKERS HELD A PUBLICHEARING THIS AFTERNOON ON A BILLTHAT WOULD PUT THE QUESTION TOVOTERS -- SHOULDMAINE AMEND THECONSTITUTION TO REQUIRE THEELIMINATION OF INCOME TAX BY2020?GOVERNOR LEPAGE HAS CUT INCOMETAX RATE DURING HIS TENURE INTHE CORNER OFFICE.HIS CURRENT PROPOSAL PROPOSESMORE CUTS.HERE IS HOW IT WOULD WORK OUTFOR TAXPAYERS.IF YOU ARE A SINGLE PERSON WHOMADE $50,000 LAST YEAR, YOU PAIDABOUT $2800 IN INCOME TAX IN2014.UNDER THE CURRENT PLAN, YOUWOULD PAY$1929 AND NOTHING BY2020.MARRIED COUPLES FILING JOINTLYLAST YEAR PAID $5,600.THE GOVERNOR'S PLAN WOULD DROPTHE FIGURE TO $3800 BY 2016ANDZERO BY 2020.THE TAX CUTS IN THE PROPOSAL ARESEPARATE FROM THE BILL TOELIMINATE THE INCOME TAX.HE WANTS TO GET RID OF THE TAXBY AMENDING THE STATECONSTITUTION SO IT IS HARDER FORFUTURE LAWMAKERS TO UNDO HISWORK.OPPONENTS POINT TO THE $1.7BILLION HOLE IT COULD MEAN INTHE STATE COFFERS.FIRST, MAINE IS NOTCOMPETITIVE.SECOND, IT IS TIME FOR ACTION.WE CANNOT RELY ON THE STATUS QUOTO PROMOTE PROSPERITY IN MAINE.THIRD, WE SHOULD LET THE PEOPLEOF MAINE DECIDE HOW THEY WANT TOBE TAXED.THE MATH IS NOT HARD TO DO.WE CAN DO IT ON THE BACK OF ANENVELOPE AND SEE HOW RECKLESSAND IRRESPONSIBLE THE PROPOSALIS, TO TRY TO HAVE THE GENERALFUND WITHOUT ANY PLAN TO PAY FORIT.I DID NOT HEAR FROM THEADMINISTRATION A SINGLE OTHERTAX THEY WOULD RAISE TO PAY FORTHAT.PAUL:THE LEGISLATURE TAXCOMMITTEE HEARD ARGUMENTS FORAND AGAINST TODAY.COMMITTEE MEMBERS WILL MEETAGAIN WEDNESDAY AND HAD A WORKSESSION ON THE BILL.THE BILL

Public weighs in on governor's plan to eliminate income tax

Gov. Paul LePage is trying to move one step closer to eliminating Maine's income tax.